Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-08-01
THE BOOMING WEST.
cITY'S CABLE RAILROADS,
AND THEIR IMMENSE PROFITS. !

Two and . Half Mile Road That
Makes $500 Dsy-Other Street Car
Matters-Kansas City Pavements-rhe
Curious Crowd on the Streets.
= Especial Correspondence
KANSAS CITY, July CO.
Kansas City has demonstrated the success
Of the cable railroad as well perhaps as any
town in the country. 1t has now three cable
street railroads, and number more are be-
ing built. The father Of the cable roads here
is young man named Gillian, who does not
look to he over thirty years of age He was,
as Mr.. Lawrence, the managing editor Of Tho
Kansas City journal, tells me, in the real
estate business when he first came to Kansas
City, and he devoted his engineering talents
to moving the immense hills Of earth Of
which Kansas City is made from one point to
another He kept cutting down here and
filing up there, and it was a pet project Of
his to devise some way to get over the bluff
which here hangs over the river landing and
upon the top and back Of which the city Is
built This bluff rises almost precipitously
from the river, and its sides are lined with
terraces Of little boxlike one story houses 1t
nigh. long detour had to be made to get
INTO the city, and Gillian schemed for a
time upon an inclined plane cable road
which should carry passengers only to
the top of the bluff. This, however,
did not take, and he then got up company
20 lay cable road up this incline and to run
it or through the business part Of the city.
1t was an expensive undertaking, but it Is
complete success, and this road now carries
10000 passengers q day. It charges five
cents apiece and has an income of 81 900 a day.
When it was being built it was estimated that
5000 fares a day would pay all its expenses,
and that 5000 passengers would enable it to
give dividend. Its capital is something over
Sl,000,000, and its profits must be over $500
a day. 1t is now two and half miles long.
and its course through the business section
and out to the best residence part on indie
pendenco avenue is one Of the best travelled in
the city. 1t goes very fast and climbs up
hill and down at the same speed. Its success
has so stimulated the desire for cable cars
that it is probable the system will be extended
to the numerous other lines which are now
run by mules. Cable street railroad building
costs here, l am told, about 800 900 per mile,
but Kansas City is, however, so billy that
this cost ought to be more than that Of other
towns Of more favorable topography. The
cable is much preferred by the people to the
horse cars as a means of transit, and the res
ilence property along the lines of such roads
has increased in value. Gable roads are to be
the future Of the street travel of Washington
city, and there will be a big chance for real
estate speculation in buying property alon~
the projected lines II congress ever grants :
charter. ~
Kansas City has also an elevated railway
which leads out through the packing houses
of Armourdale and across the river to Kansas
City, Kan, and to Wyandotte, the two vii
lnges which lie on the river at this point
This road runs through the part Of the city
along the river bank, and it gives the same
views Of second story interiors that you sec
on the elevated roads Of New York city.
1t seems to have plenty Of travel, too, anG
is evidently prospecting.
There Is also an electric railway here-one
Of the kind that communicates the elec..[ =.
fom wires running over the headc or IL La
car. 1t is a new thing, and is rather a snow
affair than one of great practical use; still
it seems to work well, and took ride upon
il over its line of about q mile in length, and
we went up and down hill al lively rate.
The mule street car lines Of Kansas CITY
ire run on an economical basis. The driver
,cts as conductor, and gracefully takes up
the fares when his team Of mules is climbing
. steep hill. He then drops his lines over the
ront railing OF the car and steps back into it
md collects the fares. He has bell punch
,round his neck, and he registers each fare
With a punch and ring. AT the steepest bills
| third mule is hitched to the side of the
cam, and l was surprised to see upon get
ing over the hill, that it was unhitched aud
to trot on to the foot, where it
topped and helped the next car up this side
rs it had done our car on the other.
Kansas City Is paving a great deal with
cedar or pine blocks, which are made of trees
about four inches in diameter, cut into
cngths about five inches long. The bark is
taken of them, and they are stood on end
ipon a foundation Of planks which rests upon
he ground. The blocks fit pretty closely to-
either, and the holes surrounding them are
illed in with sand and cement. The pavement
sorms pleasant one to walk and drive upon
but the planks will soon rot, aud it promises
TO be an expensive experiment Kansas City
las twenty miles of streets paved in this way
20 six miles of MacAdam and not quite two
miles OF stone blocks. As to sidewalks, the
older parts OF the city are laid out with
brick and there is some tagging, but all over
It the wide board walks of a new western
own remain in patches. In front of some of